Arwing Academy
by Meneil
Summary: After James McCloud's death, his son is expected to fill in his place and fight against Andross. But Fox is definitely not his father, and the young vulpine student must save himself from his own troubles before he can save others...
1. The First Day

Arwing Academy

Chapter 1: The First Day

"Hello and welcome to all new students in Corneria's Arwing Academy!" A very loud and obnoxious microphone reverberated throughout every corner.

One particular new student stood before the giant academy building. The fox's ears were flattened to his head, and his tail practically tucked between his legs. He looked like a limp noodle on the wringer. Around him, the many animal-like students ignored him and continued on with their business.

"Your dreams and aspirations can be fulfilled here at the Arwing Academy!" The megaphone continued.

The fox clothed in a white jacket and green pants only hung his head in despair. "Dreams and aspirations, huh…?" He moaned quietly to himself. "Let's see, last night I dreamt I was a bird… my current aspiration… is to get the heck out of here. But I that's impossible here..."

"All new students, please proceed to the theater for the orientation."

"That's me… Probably…" the fox sighed, shouldering his pack, and adjusting the red bandana around his neck. He began to walk towards the academy's double door entrance slowly… very slowly… His forest green eyes never left the pavement he followed.

"This will be a day you'll never forget. Yessirree, today you will begin your training to become a great pilot. This day will mark one of the most important, wonderful days of your life!" The over cheerful female speaker just wouldn't shut up.

"This day will be the worst day ever… Even worse than the night after I had twenty-three tacos and three gallons of root beer," the fox whimpered slightly at that thought. Ok, maybe not as bad as that night. But it had to be pretty darn close.

Ah… silence at last. That speaker had finally stopped talking. The grass was green, and pollution was in the air. Mm… Too bad he had to spend this day in a school house!

There were no more students hurrying around the school courtyard. The fox was about to wonder why, then realized he was horribly late. Maybe he shouldn't drag his feet so much. Eh, it wasn't like he was in a hurry to get to that assembly or whatever anyway.

* * *

It turned out that speaker at the theater was the same one on the microphone earlier. Thankfully the vulpine student had missed the, 'let's do the best we can!' speech. Instead the woman –if you could call her a woman- was actually talking about the academy.

All the back seats in the theater were taken, so the fox had to take a seat near the front row. He tried to sneak in as conspicuously as possible, but it was hard to remain unnoticed when sitting almost directly in front of the main speaker. She was similar to a frog that had overdosed on makeup. Her puffy cheeks had been colored a most vibrant red. Eyelashes were coated with glittery sparkles. Her pink dress was absolutely atrocious, with gaudy yellow flower print all over it. But the most standing and most hideous thing about her… was that her right index finger was a great deal longer than her others! She always had it pointing at something too. The fox instantly knew this was some crazed and possibly dangerous teacher. Or speaker. Well, she looked like a teacher. Actually, the fox didn't have a clue what job she possessed.

"This is unlike any school within the Lylat system," the frog was saying when the fox slipped in. He dropped his pack quietly beside his seat. "This is neither highschool, college, or military school. Instead, it is like all three combined. You will be learning how to pilot an arwing… but don't let that get into your heads! You'll need to understand the principles of how the arwing works as well. Physics, algebra, flyer's ed., and such will be part of your course training. You'll also learn the proper etiquette for the military…"

The fox student couldn't help but roll his eyes. Who the heck really _cared_ about all this stuff anyway… When it came down to it in battle, you just needed to hit the opponent and avoid being shot yourself. There was no need for all this high definition, fancy-pants military rules and regulations.

Evidently the orator noticed the not only late but very rude student. She puffed up slightly, prepared to teach this novice a _real _lesson. "Such things are necessary in order to achieve your goals. That's why it's important to work your best at everything." She shifted her attention to the fox, and smiled slightly. Oh yes, she'd get this student; he would pay. "What's your name, young sir?"

"Fox McCloud," the student didn't even look into the speaker's eyes. He let his head hang over the head rest and into the air. The apathy in his voice was clear.

"Fox McCloud," the teacher/speaker croaked. "Tell me, what are _your _goals after you graduate from the academy?"

"Eh, I'll become an air force mercenary or something," Fox the fox shrugged, still nonchalant, despite the teacher's obvious hatred.

"A _mercenary?_" The speaker laughed out loud. The rest of the students blinked in surprise, wondering why this teacher was being such a pain in the neck. "Mr. McCloud… Do you realize what mercenaries are _paid?_ Have you no personal goals? I doubt that job will even put bread on the table."

"Guess I'll just have to die in a ditch somewhere then," Fox raised his head to meet the teacher's eyes, and smirked slightly. Around him, his fellow students snickered. They weren't used to someone who would backtalk to a teacher, or refuse to cower before authority. The frog puffed out her cheeks in annoyance, making her look like a balloon. But Fox wasn't done yet. "Besides, I could die any day. What's the point of making goals…? Or trying your best or whatever. Have fun while you can, I say."

"I'm sure you'll have a fun time when you die in a ditch somewhere," the teacher snapped. Ok, now Fox winced slightly. He'd just managed to tick off the first adult in the academy. It wasn't like it was his fault that he had an attitude problem. It was just who he was. What did he say about this day being bad? What did he say…

"Well anyway," the teacher shook her head, trying to calm her temper. "I happen to be your arwing engine model teacher! So I will be seeing all of you soon. Tell me, do any of you have any questions?" She paused, but no one raised their hand. If Fox was sitting in the back, he would have made asked some funny question. But he couldn't very well do that now while sitting in front of the teacher who was already PO'd, now could he? "No? Alright then! Congratulations on completing your first day at Arwing Academy!"

"Huh?" Fox literally fell out of his chair in surprise. There was a huge _ka-bang! _as his chair snapped up without someone sitting on it. More giggles rebounded through the small theater. Fox ignored them and staggered to his feet. "What the heck? What about all those classes we're supposed to go to or something?"

"Mr. McCloud," the frog pointed her long index finger at Fox. It made him feel uneasy… Because fingers just shouldn't be that long! "If you were here earlier… or if you had even checked your academy calendar… You would have known this day is freshman orientation! There are no classes today."

"Oh…" Fox blinked at her. The class was still smiling, but they had stopped laughing. "Wait a sec!" He suddenly cried out, realizing what she had said. "If there were no classes today I could have just ditched this orientation and no one would have known!" He grabbed his ears, his eyes wide. "Dang it dang it dang it…"

Even the teacher was smirking at this point. "This was an _optional_ orientation, young sir. That's why no one took attendance."

"Geh…" Fox gasped, in anger and despair. It only took him a second to snap out of it though. He grabbed his pack and headed towards the exit. "Well screw you guys then! I'm outta here!" He hadn't walked far outside the theater when he heard the buzz of students behind him.

Man, an optional orientation that he had come to… Sometimes, it was bad to be stupid. Wait, did he just call himself stupid? Well, anyway… At least now he could go check out his dorm. The train with the circus had crashed and caused his airplane flight to delay… Or something like that. It was hard to understand what the announcer had said exactly. Wait… What was he thinking about again?

"Hey dude! Wait up!" A very high-pitched and raspy, but male, voice hailed Fox from behind. Fox winced at just the sound of it. Oh man… He'd probably attracted some sort of retard back in that orientation.

Fox felt the presence of another being beside him, but just sighed. "Look… If you're some crazed-out weirdo fan, I only date chicks… Got that? Only hot chicks."

"Heh heh…" The person beside him had a very disturbing laugh. It was enough to make Fox take a closer look at him.

The guy was probably Fox's age; maybe a year younger. He was some sort of reptile, but Fox didn't have a clue to its species. All of his scales were blood red, except for a single white patch that traveled down his chin and neck. A Hawaiian-like shirt hung loosely around his shoulders, with khaki shorts around his waist.

"What the heck are you supposed to be? A turtle without a shell?" Fox asked bluntly. After he said that, he realized the unruly character had a long tail; too long for a turtle.

"A compsognathus," the dinosaur replied simply, as if it was as common as the time of day.

"Compsowhat?" Fox looked dazed. "Ah… whatever…"

"You're Fox McCloud, right?" The red dinosaur grinned slightly.

"Yeah…" Fox's ears flattened to his head again. He didn't like that hungry look dino-freak was giving him.

"Heh, just making sure I caught your name right, dude. We'll be seeing each other a lot, you know." His grin had turned out into a full-blown creepy smile.

"I already told you: I only date chicks…" Fox hurried away from the anomaly. When he was a sufficient distance, Fox slowed back down to a leisurely pace.

Corneria was quite a big city. All the buildings had been crammed together. When there was no more room to build sideways, people instead built… up! There were tons of skyscrapers, but most of the buildings were shops or apartments. According to his map, Fox's dormitory had to be somewhere close… It wouldn't be far off campus. Oops… wait a second. Fox checked his map once again. The dormitory was _on_ school campus. And he was obviously off.

Oh well… He might as well walk around and get used to some of the shops. Fox took note of everything he saw. There was a small Chinese restaurant (though Fox had no idea why they called it _Chinese_ food; it seemed like a silly name to him), 'Little Jack's Farm,' (a grocery store), 'Mario's Pizza Parlor,' (it smelled… so good…), and other miscellaneous stores. Quite frankly, Fox only noticed the stores that sold food.

Right when Fox was about to turn around and head back to campus, one particular sign on the opposite side of the road caught his eye. "Buffalo's Bar," it read simply. The place itself looked like a run-down shack.

"Thank god!" Fox collapsed to his knees, hands and face reaching towards the heavens. "I'm saved! _Halleluiah!_" Fox screamed the last part out.

A few passersby gave Fox some weird looks before continuing with their business. Fox stood up, practically crying in joy. He was about to cross the street before he remembered… He wasn't twenty-one yet. That and he'd packed his fake ID in his suitcase, which had probably arrived at his dorm.

"Nooo!" He sobbed quietly, pulling his ears again. It looked like it might be another day before he could get a drink. Well, one day wasn't too bad… right? Besides, it probably wasn't a good day to get drunk anyway.

Fox turned away from the bar. He'd have to keep this place in mind for later. For now, though, he needed to check out his dorm.

* * *

"Hm… Room 074, second floor," Fox read from his map, where he had scribbled down his room number. He folded the map and put it into his pocket, looking at the door in front of him. "Yep… Definitely the place." This dorm reminded him of a hotel. Everything looked exactly the same, except the different numbers. The corridors were narrow, with dark red walls that seemed to close on those within. Each door was white, but the paint had faded over the years.

Evidently his roommate had already found their dorm, because the door was open just a crack. As Fox pushed the door forward, he wondered briefly who his dorm partner would be. Hopefully it wouldn't be anyone too annoying. Knowing his luck, it probably would be… Or someone who would bust him for his drinking habits. Better yet, maybe the person would be a combination of both. Fox stepped inside…

_Sploosh!_

A cascade of water fell upon his furry head, thoroughly drenching every fiber in his being. Some bright light flashed before his eyes, and Fox blinked as he tried to see clearly. Less than a second later, something hard and metallic hit his head.

"Ooow!" Fox winced, rubbing the newly formed lump on his head. His eyes fell to the ground, where a metal pail had fallen. "What the heck!" He exclaimed, thoroughly irked and confused by what had just happened. It took him a second to realize that someone was laughing.

Fox rose his eyes murderously to the figure rolling in glee on one of the twin beds. It was that same reptile who had spoken to Fox after the orientation!

"You… you!" Fox sputtered, pointing his dripping wet finger at the compsognathus. "What the heck was that for!"

"H-hello, dude," the red dino finally managed to get a decent hold of himself, and pulled himself up into a sitting position. His smile was still wider than the sun, though.

"Man… don't tell me you're my roommate…" Fox rubbed the water out of his eyes, still incredibly sour about the entire situation.

"You bet, Fox the fox," the dinosaur cackled manically. "Know who I am? Or did you never bother to check your schedule? It says who your dorm mate is, don't cha know."

"Don't know… don't care…" Fox muttered, taking a few threatening steps towards the compsognathus.

"'M Roshi Yancha," Roshi named introduced himself anyway. His blue eyes widened slightly as Fox continued to creep closer. "Woah dude! Don't get so worked up. We're going to be like, together for a while. Heh heh, and honestly, what can I say, I'm a bit of a prankster."

"Immature jokes like yours are just a pain in the neck…" Fox seemed unimpressed, and obviously intended to strangle Roshi.

"Chill out," Roshi shook his head, scooting back from the edge of the bed slightly. "'Sides, I got a cool pic of ya. Want to see? Your face was pretty good, heh heh heh…"

It was then that Fox realized the camera hanging around Roshi's neck. The film had developed immediately. Fox snatched the offered picture and stared at it. He _had _been taken by complete surprise. In the picture he looked like a deer caught in headlights. That is, a waterlogged deer. Something above him was falling; probably the pail that hit him on the head.

"Grr…" Fox tore up the picture into five hundred pieces. "Of all the dorm mates… Why me…?"

"Seriously," Roshi agreed, nodding his head solemnly.

Fox glared bloody murder at him, but decided he didn't want to kill Roshi right now. He needed to change his clothes and into something dry… heck, while he was at it, he might as well take a shower. Yeah, that would be good.

"Alright, listen up, dastard," Fox pointed straight at Roshi. "I'll let you go this time, but next time I'll pummel you to a pulp. Now uh, have you seen a suitc…"

Roshi was already pointing to the said suitcase, beside the twin bed he wasn't currently sitting on. "Yeah man, I took it in for you. I thought like, you wouldn't want someone to steal your stuff outside."

Fox almost thanked Roshi. Almost. But he didn't. "You better have not done anything to my stuff…"

"Not a thing," Roshi grinned again.

Fox grabbed it, and walked slowly into the bathroom. He was dripping wet, and had made a mess all over the floor. Everything was Roshi's fault, though. "Hey guy, you better clean up this mess too. There's no way I will sweep the floor because I was a victim of one of your dumb pranks." He closed the bathroom door behind him.

"Aye aye, capt'n," Roshi called out merrily. "Don't worry, I like, do this for a living. By the time you get out, it'll be like nothing ever happened… Heh heh heh…"

Fox sighed, and opened his suitcase to search for some good dry clothes. Had Roshi been waiting this entire time for him to walk into the room? It was actually really scary at the lengths he went to prank someone. And it sounded like this wouldn't be a once in a lifetime event…

This was going to be a long year. This was going to be a _very _long year.

* * *

A/N: Bad? Good? Never really written anything like this, and usually I do first person. So please, let me know how this is working. I can't look at my own work without bias.

So erm, I be Meneil, and I am very new to the Star Fox community. I've only played Star Fox 64 and Star Fox Adventures, so please understand my gaming knowledge background.

And here is some important info you might actually want to know about: This story is preplanned, with some major events that have no connection to the games. This is based on an RP my friend and I did mm maybe 2 years ago, so she deserves story credit as well!

Here is a list of major Star Fox characters within this story (first one most major, last one least major): Fox McCloud (duh, I mean, he IS the main char here), Katt, Falco (Falco will probably be spoken more about than make actual appearances), Wolf, Pigma, Leon, Andrew

Some not so major Star Fox characters within this story (most important first again): James McCloud, Andross, Krystal, General Pepper, Peppy, Slippy, (maybe) Tricky

You probably don't really care about where my original chars fit in there. Roshi is one of the few, really.

Pairings:

NONE MIS AMIGOS! ((is not Spanish; if you send me a long message in Spanish I will have no idea what you are talking about)) Fox likes to hit on all the girls possible, though, and chase Krystal around for about a chapter. Katt will flirt too. Just, this is not a love story. There might be little hints, but it will never be the main point of the story. Or a chapter for that matter.

Thus ends my unusually long author's note. That's all, folks. I will email you and respond to your reviews if I can contact you. Honestly I am not sure whether I will continue this story or not. I'm sort of just testing how it goes.

Acknowledgements: Nintendo and Rare own Star Fox. I own the plot and original chars like Roshi though! Many thanks to lala girl (aka Amy) for RPing with me and creating this wonderful idea together.


	2. Enter Starfox

Quick A/N: When I use the other word for _Hades_ in this chapter, I really mean that fiery place. I don't use 'offensive' words unless I am using them for their dictionary meanings. Sorry if it really bothers you; I'm not fond of them either unless people are using them for their actual true meanings…

Arwing Academy

Chapter 2: Enter Starfox

Shoes treaded the rough pavement below them. The book bag on his back was heavy. Same old, same old… Fox walked the familiar path with monotony. One day he'd be out of this joint… Someday he'd be in the _sky_, not the ground. Actually, anything had to be better than this hell. If hell really existed, it was definitely the world he lived in.

As if hell heard his thoughts, the scent of burning wood reached Fox's nose. He glanced around in mild surprise, wondering what had caught on fire. Plumes of smoke rose above a few houses down in the neighborhood. A sudden fear seized Fox, and a lump caught in his throat. He began to run towards the fire's source.

_God… no… Please don't take the one thing in my life…_

His house was on fire. Dumbstruck, Fox stopped running and just stared. A small group of people had cumulated a fair distance away from his house. One of them noticed Fox, and made his way toward his friend.

"Wha…" Fox managed to move his mouth, but his eyes never left the burning building. "What…"

Strong arms –rather wings- gripped Fox's shoulders, commanding him to look into the owner's piercing blue eyes. "Fox," his voice was low. "Your house is on fire… but there are firemen on their way."

Fox was unable to hold his friend's gaze. "My dad… Is my father in there?" He forced himself to say it calmly. Inside, he was an untamed squall. But he knew if he voiced his rage, his friend would only hold him tighter.

"I don't know," the blue bird answered carefully. Fox stared into his eyes, and knew he was lying. His father _was _in there.

"Falco…" Fox began, but was unable to continue. He blinked back tears unsuccessfully. The house itself meant nothing to him. His father was the only person he had left in this world, though. No siblings or relatives… not even a mother. If he lost his father…. He'd be all alone…

When Fox didn't struggle against Falco's grip, the bird slowly released him. Bad mistake.

Fox tore into a sudden run, his destination the burning house. Falco tried unsucessfully to catch him. Even when they had been younger, Fox had always been the faster runner.

The vulpine victim mowed down the people who stood in his way. There wasn't enough time for subtleties; this was serious. As Fox reached the burning building, a gasp from the crowd arose. Knowing Falco was close behind him, Fox couldn't hesitate. He plunged into his house, panic's essence filling him with much needed energy.

Falco stopped at the doorframe, peering inside the hellfire. He could see Fox amidst the flames, but it was too dangerous to enter. The building could collapse any second. Where were those firemen! "Fox!" Falco called out in desperation to his receding friend. The bird shook his head at his friend's foolishness. Even if James McCloud was still alive, there was no way the two would have such luck on the way back. Falco closed his eyes, sighing deeply. No... He wouldn't let his friend go out this way. He'd drag him back if he had to.

Right as Falco made up his mind, a flaming beam collapsed, blocking the entrance. If Falco couldn't get in, that meant Fox couldn't get out! "Fox!" Falco cried out again, in even more desperation. "Fox! Get out of there!" But his words were too far for Fox to hear them.

Meanwhile, Fox experienced Hades first-hand. The smoke made his eyes water and lungs shake. His unprotected fur sizzled beneath the fire's intense heat while sticky sweat poured from his brow. "Dad?" Fox called. His eyes scanned his previous house, but everything was blurry. "Dad?" Fox tried again. The staircase was in flames; Fox seriously hoped his father wasn't up there. He could still search the kitchen, though... and the family room.

The kitchen's cupboards and pantries had all been set aflame. His father wasn't there. There wasn't much time left... His father probably wouldn't be alive by the time he found him. All he could do was hurry onto the family room...

Amidst the burning landscape, Fox picked out a fallen form upon the ground. Crying out in both relief and worry, the fox rushed to his aid. He kneeled down, frantically trying to lift his father's prone form. "C'mon, we gotta get out of here..." He spoke, feeling tears begin to flow from his eyes. His father wasn't dead. His father couldn't be dead. Fox just had to keep telling himself that, over and over again.

As Fox's hand grabbed his father's back, he felt something sticky. Not the texture of sweat, either... Fox laid his father back on the floor; another fear lodging itself in his throat.

Blood.

Lots of blood.

His father was bleeding?

That was impossible! _When fire burns skin, the wound is sealed as fast as it is damaged. Therefore, there is no blood when a victim has burns of any kind..._

A gasp escaped Fox, and his hands began to shake. _No! No! No! I don't have time for this. Gotta get Dad out of here fast..._

Heavy footsteps behind Fox interrupted his thoughts. Jerking around quickly, the form of an overweight pig greeted him. Fox sighed in relief. He didn't know what his father's business partner was doing here, but at least he could get some help...

"Mr. Dengar!" Fox greeted him, still kneeling by his father. "Please help me! We need to get my father out of here..."

The fat swine lifted his hand, pointing a gun straight at Fox's head. Fox stared at him with disbelieving eyes, as the facts clicked into place. More than ever, he felt the hot sweat upon his head and hands. Another shaken breath escaped Fox.

"Hee hee..." A very disturbing giggle came from the swine. Pigma Dengar clicked the safety lock off on his gun. "You've saved me the trouble of looking for you... James McCloud's son!"

Fox stared at him without understanding. But he knew he was going to die here... Die by his father's murderer. "W-wait," Fox shook his head, feeling panic rise within him again. "Wh-why would you want to kill me and my father?"

"Because now the Starfox legacy has no heirs... hehehe!" A malicious smile sprawled across Pigma's face. Fox still didn't understand, but there wasn't enough time to think. "Bye-bye!" Pigma waved cheerfully at Fox, before pulling the trigger. The house groaned in protest exactly at that moment, and the roof caved in between Pigma and Fox. The gunshot was muffled beneath the caving house.

It would have been a godsend if the roof wasn't collapsing on top of Fox and his father. There was no way out of this... there wasn't enough time to run. The burning building was burying Fox and his father in their graves...

"Aaahhhhhhhhh!" Fox closed his eyes, hugging his head closely to his body, expecting the final pain to come any minute; for his life to be over; to see God or angels or Satan or hell or something...

But the final pain never came.

_I should have died that day..._

* * *

"Fox!"

"Fox McCloud!"

"Fox McCloud, are you paying attention?"

Fox managed to tear his gaze from the awe-inspiring window of sky and focused on the teacher. "Not really. What were you saying?"

The frog speaker from yesterday, Mrs. Anura, was the arwing engine model teacher. She puffed herself up to twice her size and waved her very long index finger at her student. "You might think you're very funny, young sir, but I will not tolerate your…" She frowned, thinking of the right word. "Erm… lack of attention," she managed to fumble out.

Well she didn't exactly seem like the brightest card in the deck to Fox, either… "I thought we were just introducing ourselves or something… It wasn't like you were even teaching," the vulpine student pointed out.

The teacher suddenly had a complete shift of mood and decided to completely ignore Fox. Taking advantage of the situation, Fox let his mind wander again, while his eyes drifted towards the big blue…

"Hi, my name is Slippy Toad," some student was introducing himself. "I really like the design of the Arwings…" It was the last thing Fox heard before becoming completely immersed in la-la land.

* * *

The Arwing Engine Model class had ended. Fox found his way towards a different classroom, which was on ground level. As the students filed into their seats, the bell finally rang. Strange… Fox glanced around the room. The teacher wasn't there yet. …What class was this again? He hadn't been paying attention.

Well anyway, it was a good time to observe the fascinating window. Someone had been kind enough to leave the window open, and a gentle breeze flowed across the room. The peacefulness was interrupted when a figure seemed to appear out of nowhere, jumping through the open window, and onto the teacher's desk!

"General Scales!" The SharpClaw dinosaur cackled, showing his clawed hands to the class. "Coutoh, hicoh, udt k0hudk ev kxaj scujjheem!" (1)

All of the students, even Fox, stared wide-eyed at the deranged dinosaur. Fox couldn't help but wonder if someone mental had escaped from the psych ward…

Someone passed by the door outside. 'General' Scales noticed the animal, and quickly jumped down from the desk. He was just in time. The person did a double take, looked again, and rubbed his eyes when he saw Scales in front of the classroom like a normal teacher.

Scales turned his attention back to the students, and coughed slightly. "Your language teacher," he explained shortly, glaring at the class with suspicious eyes. Oh great, this crackpot was a teacher? Fox couldn't believe his luck.

"If I catch you dozing or goofing off even once…" General Scales lifted his lips into a sneer. "I'll send you to the dungeon, where you will be sentenced to have a 'learning' experience with medieval torture devices."

Fox couldn't take his eyes off this guy. Man, he was good. He'd have to be careful… Maybe even pretend to pay attention.

A sudden uneasiness crept over Fox, and it wasn't because of their mental teacher. Someone was staring at him… He could feel their eyes on his back. Closing his eyes and shuddering slightly, Fox tried to shake the feeling off.

* * *

The last class of the day wasn't as exciting as language, but this was the one subject Fox thought he might possibly enjoy.

Flyer's Education.

Finally, he'd get to pilot an Arwing. Well… probably not on the first day, but someday he would. The teacher wasn't as annoying as Mrs. Anura, or as mental as General Scales. He seemed vaguely familiar to Fox, actually.

"Hi guys!" The elderly teacher waved enthusiastically at the group of kids. "I'm Mr. Hare," the hare introduced himself. "And I get to teach you the fundamental aspects of flying! Whoo-hoo!" He seemed honestly excited about the course. "Don't worry, you'll be piloting in space in no time. It's like riding a bicycle; once you learn, you never forget!"

The rest of the period, Mr. Hare laid out the syllabus and explained the expectations within his class. Mr. Hare had timed the class perfectly. Right when he finished, the bell rang. Fox was about to hightail it out of school with the rest of the students; he was glad he had finally finished his day. However, an arm grabbed his shoulder, so the vulpine student had to stop his mad rush. He glanced back to see Mr. Hare beside him.

"Wait a second," the rabbit commanded him, smiling in a friendly manner. "I couldn't help but notice how familiar you look. Tell me, you wouldn't happen to know James McCloud, would you?"

Fox was slightly taken aback; he hadn't expected something like that. "Um…" He finally nodded his head. "Yeah. That's my father."

"So you _are_ Fox McCloud!" Mr. Hare's lit with excitement. "What an honor to have you in my class! Ha, tell me, what is your father up to? I haven't seen him in years! Tell him to drop me a line or two, would you?" Fox blinked, his heart beginning to grow heavy. He tried to interrupt the hare, but he just kept on going. "Why, James and I were both on the Starfox team, back in the day, yes sir. Flying against Andross and demolishing his army… Ah, those were the days. Speaking of Andross, have you heard about his return? Oh of course you have, what am I talking about; we're in a war against him, after all! I heard your father was considering taking to his Arwing again. Has he decided? Or are you going to take his place?" The friendly hare winked at Fox. "Practice hard, maybe someday you'll be as skilled as your father!"

Fox bowed his head slightly, dreading what he should tell Mr. Hare. If he was indeed a close friend of his father, Fox knew he had to explain James's death. Yet whenever Fox mentioned his father's death, the other person was fake kind to him. They were always full of superfluous guilt and pity; and Fox couldn't stand or accept pity from others. He hated pity because it meant people looked down on him; as if he was someone pathetic. Sure, loosing his father was tough… Fox never said it didn't make him depressed… if 'depressed' could even properly explain his intense sorrow…

By now Mr. Hare had realized something was wrong with his student. Mr. Hare's dark hazel eyes met Fox's green pair. The teacher was about to inquire about the fox's silence, but Fox beat him to it. "Mr. Hare," Fox cleared his throat slightly, trying to keep his gaze and voice steady. "My father is dead." Good, he'd managed to keep himself under control.

The kindly old teacher stared at Fox in disbelief. The small spectacles on his nose fell to hit the ground. "Wh-what?" Mr. Hare shook his head, eyes searching for any lie beneath Fox. "How? When?"

"L-last week." Shoot, his voice had quivered. "He died…" Fox blinked back tears, barely holding himself under control. He tried to speak, but only a small breath would come forth. Somehow, he couldn't say that his father was 'murdered'… "In a fire." The vulpine student gulped. It was easier to say it that way. Besides, that's what the police had 'concluded'…

Mr. Hare just shook his head his mouth slightly open. When he noticed Fox's eyes watering, the rabbit couldn't bear to watch him. He turned away, grabbing the desk for support, staring through the window; trying to make sense of what Fox had just said. Mr. Hare's mind was unable to comprehend the extremity of the events.

Well, the old hare had been right about being a close friend; Fox could see that clearly. His teacher was in such shock that he had forgotten to give Fox his pity party. Seeing an escape, the fox quietly left the classroom, leaving the teacher to find himself.

* * *

Fox was determined to enjoy the rest of his day. Maybe he'd find his fake ID and visit Buffalo's bar. Yeah… eat, drink, and be merry; or, something to that degree at least. Maybe he'd get to know some of the local yokels, too.

Reaching his dorm, Fox couldn't help but pause before opening the door. Last time, Roshi had played a prank on him. This time he wouldn't be caught off guard, though. Fox turned the doorknob slowly, preparing to sneak up on the red reptile. …But the door wouldn't open. Fox glared at the door accusingly. Had Roshi done something to prevent him from entering?

…Oh wait, the door was locked, haha. Slapping himself for his stupidity, Fox grabbed the keys out of his pocket. He fumbled for the right key, but it jingled. Loudly. If Roshi hadn't heard that, he was deaf. Knowing the element of surprise was gone, Fox sighed slightly. Well, guess he couldn't be subtle.

After the fox unlocked the door, he kicked it open forcefully! There was a shattering _ka-bam buduh buduh budah_ as the door was slammed across the doorstopper's spring. No water fell or anything, so Fox assumed it was booby-free. Roshi was nowhere in sight, so Fox figured he had gone somewhere.

Sighing again (but this time in relief), Fox walked through the door. "Hey dude!" An all-too familiar voice greeted him. Fox nearly fell over in surprise when Roshi popped out from underneath the bed.

"What the heck?" Fox gaped at the dinosaur. "What are you doing down there?"

"Havin' a pizza party," Roshi remarked, as if it was common sense. "Hey you want any?"

"Is the pizza poisoned?" Fox glared suspiciously at the very strange compsognathus.

Roshi laughed. "Dude, I've eaten like, half of it. I sure hope not. 'Sides, that would make ya sick, I don't do stuff like that. And I already pranked ya yesterday; I found m'self other targets. Chill. I'm not gonna stalk only you."

"Ok, fine," Fox sighed for the third time. The pizza looked and smelled fine; so Fox decided that Roshi was telling the truth. There was only half left, but it Fox wolfed it down. When Roshi remarked that Fox ate like an animal, the vulpine student told him to shut up.

Fox was too tired to visit the bar. He could put it off for another day, he thought. Plopping down on his small bed, Fox prepared to take a small rest.

"You ok?" Roshi peered at his dorm mate curiously.

"Sure, why do you ask?" Fox asked tiredly.

"You seem… sad… or something."

Fox jumped slightly. He hadn't expected the dinosaur to be so intuitive. "I'm fine. Just tired is all." Shutting his eyes again, Fox closed out any further conversation.

But he really did miss his father…

* * *

(1) Fyi, General Scales said (in Dinosaur/Saurian language), "General Scales! Leader, ruler, and tyrant of this classroom!"

AN: Hi again. So guess what game I got after I just explained which games I've played… lol. Well actually I didn't really like Starfox: Assualt (Namco, what have you done?), so I will just be basing this story off of 64 and Adventures, as previously planned.

Acknowledgements: Namco and Nintendo own Starfox! …Namco? Ooh, scary, that isn't Rare.


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